A group of young men in camouflage with bats and chains were intercepted near the main control room of the Kyiv Water Utility on Thursday, May 1, around 16:40, reports the utility on its website.

Security at the company responded immediately by increasing all safety measures and by calling the police and notifying the department of security at the utility, the statement says.
Police on duty at the main control room and the police of the Pechersk district in Kyiv asked the young men for the purpose of their presence near this strategic location with enhanced security. The armed men called themselves the “Public Defense of Kyiv” and claimed they were maintaining order.

“Seeing the police and the increased security, the young men decided to leave the premises and drove off in their own bus. Police took down the license number of the bus and issued a statement about the attempted seizure of the utility,” the statement says.

The Kyiv Water Utility stresses that any unauthorized interference with the operation of the company, especially the main control room, is illegal and can lead to the destabilization of the entire water and wastewater system in all of Kyiv. This would result in a man-made catastrophe in Kyiv and in all of Ukraine, the statement concludes.